320 No. 40th StreetBuilding permit:
October 1907
Building style:
Eclectic:
elements of Tudor revival and Neo Classic Revival
Building cost:
$11,000
Architect:
John McDonald
Builder:
Jonas Printz
Owner:
E.W. Gunther
In the early 1920’s Edward Peterson moved into this house and lived there until the late 1930’s.
He was a senior partner in the “heavy contracting” firm of Peterson, Shirley and Gunther.
He built the first racetrack at what came to be know as the Aksarben Racetrack in the 1890’s.
When the track was rebuilt in 1919 his firm was contracted again to do the work.
He was a well-known owner of harness and racing horses and raced many of his horses at Ak-Sar-Ben.
His great-granddaughter Jun remembers her grandmother telling stories about their neighbors, the Carl Swanson family. Mrs. Swanson used to can soup and send her boys door to door selling it.
Later the Swansons started the Swanson & Sons company, and thus began the famous food production business.
Within a year of each other, both the Petersons and the Swanson’s moved to the Dundee neighborhood and once again became next-door neighbors.
